Senate harmony on marriage glosses over the deep divisions in rainbow politics

But the Senators' views were in stark contrast to the leaders of the same-sex marriage movement who gave evidence at their hearings.

In reality, their report and speeches in the Parliament last week papered over the deep cracks of division within the same-sex marriage movement.

Just.equal spokesperson and long-time campaigner for redefining marriage, Rodney Croome, told the committee hearings he was opposed to protections for religious freedom for civil celebrants.

"To us it (providing protections) would sound like a way to legitimise prejudice," Croome told the Senators.

Chris Pycroft of the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby told the committee: "I think that any amendment that would be introduced to the bill which would introduce exemptions (for religious freedom) in some form or another would need a review put in place, I would say two to three years after the specific exemptions were put in place, to evaluate their effectiveness and whether it is appropriate to keep those exemptions in place".

Clearly any protections for freedom of belief that Parliament might include to secure the passage of a same-sex marriage bill would not stand the test of time before activists started lobbying again for change.

Turnbull Government MP Tim Wilson, who is in a same-sex relationship, has been championing the idea that same-sex marriage and freedom for dissenting Australians can co-exist.

He talks of a "soft landing" for religious freedom but stops short of allowing freedom of religion for individual business owners who supply the wedding industry.

Croome and Pycroft's testimony make it clear that any concessions for freedom, even for priests, made now by the same-sex marriage lobby would not be tolerated and would be unpicked in the future.

Wilson's goodwill to the other side is admirable but it would be naïve for supporters of traditional marriage to grasp his olive branch.

The Co-Chair of Australian Marriage Equality and member of the NSW Parliament, Alex Greenwich, is constantly chipping away at the legal protections for religious schools in NSW anti-discrimination law which allows them freedom to positively discriminate so they can hire staff who share their ethos.

Urged by the gay lobby, the same-sex-marriage-friendly Victorian Government lost its bid by just one vote to strip Christian schools of this freedom.